1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of film processing. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and a method for preventing the formation of a viscous or solid deposit from a processing solution on a film transport member in a film processor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One well known version of apparatus for processing exposed film to convert its latent images to visible ones includes a plurality of tanks each of which contains a different film processing liquid, such as a developer solution, a fixer solution, and a wash solution. The tanks are disposed in successive adjacent relation in order that the exposed film may be advanced from tank to tank and successively treated by the different processing solutions. To effect such film advance, the processing apparatus further includes several groupings of vertically disposed rollers which are respectively immersed in the different processing solutions within the tanks to move the exposed film through such solutions. Other rollers are located above the tanks, proximate the boundaries between the tanks, to move the exposed film from tank to tank. Together these rollers define a sinuous film advance path which interconnects the tanks. When all of the rollers are driven approximately at the same speed, the exposed film is moved along the sinuous path through the tanks and is successively immersed in the different processing solutions.
The upper rollers located above the tanks, proximate the boundaries between the tanks, are commonly referred to as "cross-over rollers" in view of their function to transfer the exposed film from tank to tank. As the exposed film is advanced from a processing solution and over a cross-over roller, there is a tendency to transfer droplets of the solution from the wet film to the roller surface. This usually does not present a problem as long as the cross-over rollers are continuously wetted by the exposed film. However, when the processing apparatus is left idle for a while, the droplets of solution on the cross-over rollers oxidize to form viscous or solid deposits on the roller surfaces. These deposits, unless removed for example by rinsing or washing the cross-over rollers, are abrasive and contaminating to the exposed film and the roller components. Thus, the deposits may damage the exposed film and may cause a premature wearing of the cross-over rollers.